‘What’s Dorian?’: Myrtle Beach back to business as usual after little damage
It was business as usual in Myrtle Beach on Friday following Hurricane Dorian.
Despite the strong winds and flooding the area experienced when Dorian slammed the South Carolina coast on Thursday, residents were out and about on the beach, either soaking up the sun, exercising, seashell hunting or using metal detectors to discover what washed up along the shore.
“It’s a beautiful day today,” Myrtle Beach resident Michelle Maynard said. “It’s like, “What’s Dorian?’”
Maynard, similar to several area residents, chose not to evacuate despite the threat of the storm that wobbled between a Category 2 and Category 3 as it neared the Grand Strand.
Erosion and other damage to the beach was clear, but so were the treasures that washed up. There were conch, whelk and other shells dotting the beach, along with driftwood and sharks teeth for the keen-eyed beach combers.
An octopus had washed in with the tide Friday, a creature not regularly seen on the sands of Myrtle Beach. He was returned to the ocean near 78th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach.
Socastee resident Allyson Dorty, who took her kids to the beach Friday morning, said she got really nervous when the storm strengthened to a Category 3, but trusted her gut to stay put.
“We’re due for a major hurricane,” Dorty said. “But until then, I don’t want to evacuate unless I really have to.”
On Monday, Gov. Henry McMaster called a mandatory evacuation for residents living in evacuation zone A. He lifted the evacuation order Friday morning.
Several businesses along Kings Highway and Ocean Boulevard were also open for business. Others spent the day removing plywood from windows and doors.
With nearby communities experiencing tornadoes and devastation, Myrtle Beach saw no significant damage.
While the beaches are much flatter than they were before the storm, the dunes and sand fencing are still intact, City Spokesperson Mark Kruea said.
Myrtle Beach also announced Friday it’s waiving building permit fees for repairs related to damage from Dorian. Officials will decide Tuesday whether to extend the waivers beyond Sept. 10, he said.
Despite the several thousand power outages, the now-famous red Jeep stuck in the ocean and the debris that was covering the roadways early Friday morning, all was back to normal in the afternoon.
“We have had crews out since last night starting the clean-up efforts and looking for damage,” Mayor Brenda Bethune said. “We fared very well and look forward to welcoming our residents and visitors back!”
— Reporter Charles Duncan contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 6, 2019 at 2:22 PM.